Lost in a Dream
by Yukitarina
Summary: What if you were never born? What if you were never revived? Hypnos shows Aiolos the agonizing answers. Hades, Persephone, SSLC Hypnos, Poseidon, Aiolos, Aiolia, Saga, Shaka, Milo, Camus. Important Note: Chapter 1 "Too Soundly Too Deeply" has revision.
1. Prologue

**Lost in a Dream**

What if you were never born? What if you were never revived? Hypnos shows Aiolos the agonizing answers, using the technique he formerly applied to Sagittarius Sisyphus. This is the counterpart of Home Sweet Home. Aiolos and The Gold Saints.

A/N: Hi, everyone…! ^^ This is the counterpart to _Home Sweet Home_, the setting is a year after _Home Sweet Home._ I'll make this as multiple chapters, but sadly I cannot update it fast :(. But I'll promise to finish it, since the storyline has been in my head for quite long time :). Oh ya, the fic _Thirty Hugs!_ is still in progress, don't worry, I'll finish it as well :).

**Prologue**

**Olympus Mountain. Greece.**

Just the way the place was. Seemed like everything was floating above the white clouds, and the wind was so faithful whistling the fogs here there and everywhere.

There stood a deity with attractive long black hair. Of course with his extremely handsome face and wonderful green eyes which resembled the depth of the well. His face which usually filled with coldness was a bit different now as he gazed at the world, looking at someone which wasn't supposed to be there.

"Persephone," said Hades, in almost, a soft voice.

The deity who sat on the throne behind him was a bit frowning his forehead. His complexion was as handsome as the first deity. His eyes were so wonderful, ocean-blue in colour, the same as his long wavy hair. He didn't have the air of darkness as his brother, yet he didn't have the air of brightness as well. It was so difficult to define him.

"Persephone?" asked Poseidon.

Hades only gave a short glance to his brother, then continued looking at the Earth. The fact that Poseidon visited Olympus Mountain to have tea time with him didn't make him respecting him even a bit.

"So tell me, Hades," Poseidon said, seeing that Hades didn't have any interest to reply. "You said love is an illusion created by human being, that we can't believe in something we aren't able to see… Yet now you look at the Earth, mentioning your wife's name who has left you since the beginning of 16th century Holy War."

"Mentioning her name does not mean anything," Hades replied coldly.

Poseidon looked at him for a while before he, Hades, paced up and fro in a slow movement.

"What is she doing in Earth, actually?" Poseidon asked again.

Hades took a deep breath, then took a look again at the world, focusing on a country which was so familiar for him.

"I do not know," he answered. "I could only guess."

**Continued in **_**Chapter 1: Too Soundly, Too Deeply**_


	2. Too Soundly Too Deeply

**Chapter 1**

**Too Soundly, Too Deeply**

_**Tokyo, Japan, a year after Hades came back to Olympus Mountain (*see Home Sweet Home)**_

It was a dim, cloudy morning.

The rain had just ended at five pm. The atmosphere wasn't gloom though; instead it was relaxing, the smell of the rain, the thickness of the dew. For some unexplainable reason the after-raining-mood in Japan districts somehow reminded the inhabitants to the time when they were childhood, or when they laughed happily in the midst of the green grass, or when they stared at the candy-floss and asked their mother to afford it.

Rain…rain was always about memories. None of even the most expensive air conditioner in the world could replace the cool wind and the sensation produced by rainfall.

Drizzle, shower, precipitation, whatever you call it.

And Aiolos has just realized how precious the drops of the rain were when he hasn't been able to feel it again…

The day, or maybe the years (depended on what time signal you refer to) before he couldn't feel it again, he still thought rain was mere ordinary occasion.

Too ordinary.

The Sagittarius gazed at the dim clouds for a while before going to his bed and began to close his eyes to sleep. He hasn't slept since he woke up at midnight and lost in thoughts. At that time he only gazed at nowhere, the room wasn't lit at all. It was dark.

Like those in the death terrain.

And suddenly he murmured something…something which he has buried for long in the backside of his brain, by his defense mechanism.

"I wish I could die…forever…"

Then his tears fell, remembering his brother. He recalled to the time when Aiolia was so blissful seeing him revived, telling him he would protect him with all of his might and stating he would never lose him again. _And I wouldn't lose you as well,_ Aiolos told his brother.

Yet…what's the use of living _again_? After staying in the darkness for very long time. Thirteen years! If only it wasn't Athena's decision, he would reject the revival straight away. He wouldn't make any objection towards the revival of his Aiolia and juniors, but he didn't want it. He didn't want to be revived.

All these time he was successful hiding his agony. He tried to stay cheerful, kept hanging out with his friends and juniors. Nobody had ever known when he locked himself in his room at night and covered his face with his hands in distress.

He felt so lonely. So alone. It was so strange…seeing his juniors have been so…adults. Those who were nurtured by him: Mu, Aldebaran, DM, Aiolia, Shaka, Milo, Camus, Aphrodite. All were his little brothers, who always ran to him and asked for his hugs when they were only six years old. "Aiolos…Aiolos…let's go buying some ice cream!!"

"Aiolos…Aiolos…please carry me in your back…"

"Aiolos…Aiolos…I want to be your little brother too!!"

_Aiolos…Aiolos…_

Now they've been more than twenty. No one would call him again. No one will ask to be accompanied to buying ice cream again.

No one…nobody needed him…

And the more he spent time with his juniors, the more he felt how useless he was. They've been adults, got their best friends with him, who have also been brothers. Mu with Aldebaran and Shaka, Camus and Milo, Aphrodite and Deathmask, even Aiolia has got his girlfriend. He was no longer needed, so what the use of living? None…none at all…

The fragrance of the rain filled his room. Aiolos still got a chance to look at the rise of the sun before he was completely lost in his slumber.

***

Seven pm.

"Breakfast!" Saga announced from the kitchen. Not long after the announcement the other Goldies immediately stopped their activities and heading to the dining room together.

The Aquarius, though, was still in his room. He only tilted his head a bit when hearing Saga's call, then continued looking outside the window with almost empty eyes. His thought was flying somewhere else, not focusing on the smell of the fried beef and egg Saga has cooked, for sure. No matter how hard he resisted, the blue-colour hair always appeared in the front of his mind.

He kept staying in that position until finally he heard a call from his door.

"Camus, breakfast," said Mu.

Camus glanced at him and nodded slightly, then followed him to the dining room.

When he arrived, his fellows have been consuming half of their plates. Some of them were chatting and joking as usual, some were focusing on the meals, and one was simply refusing every meals his fellows offered.

"Beef, Shaka?"

"No, thank you."

"Egg, Shaka?"

"No, thank you."

"Blueberry jam, Shaka?"

"No, thank you."

"Mineral water, Shaka?"

"Yes, my pleasure," Shaka said calmly as he received a glass of mineral water Aiolia gave him, causing Aiolia and the others to chuckle.

"Where's your bro, kitten?" asked Kanon in the middle of his mealtime.

"Still sleeping. What a surprise…he usually wakes up earlier than all of us," answered Aiolia as he took hazelnut jam from the middle of the table. "Hope he won't sleep all day, we have to prepare everything for a journey to Rozan tomorrow anyway. Great, finally we'll get there…Marin, Shaina, and the Bronzies never stop teasing me about their pleasurable vacation…," Aiolia mumbled.

"I'm worrying about something else," replied Shura. "Does Dohko have enough rooms for Bronzies, Silvers, and Goldies together?"

"He should do," answered Mu. "He has five rooms. We will be divided into five groups then. The girls will stay together of course; Marin, Shaina, June, and Shunlei."

"I don't like that girl," grumbled Deathmask addressing Shunlei. All immediately laughed out loud; Deathmask must remember the battle with Shiryu in Cancer temple long time ago.

"You don't join the girls' group, Aphro?" Kanon teased, and once again most of the Goldies roared into laughter.

"Very funny," said Aphrodite, drank his juice calmly and elegantly. "Impressing."

"Kidding, Aphro, don't take it seriously," said Saga encouragingly. "We all know how Kanon is. By the way, what about that scorpion?" he immediately changed topic before Kanon replied his former statement. "He'd better come back this evening."

Camus stopped eating when all eyes were staring at him.

"What?" he asked, almost unemotional. He continued eating without looking at his fellows.

"Is he still in Milos Island, Camus?" asked Aldebaran.

"I have no idea," he answered with even more unemotional tone.

Everybody looked at each other before continued their mealtime.

Clearly, no one has forgotten about Milo and Camus's huge quarrel a month ago.

***

By twelve thirty the plans were changing a bit. Some of the Goldies decided to go to Rozan ahead, aiming to 'book' the best room in Dohko's house. It was after Mu told them about the rooms which were too small or, much worse, had been occupied by a lot of ghouls or even bugs.

"Yuck, I hate bugs!" yelled Aphrodite, in a tone that implied even the ugliest zombie was better than bugs. He ran to his room to pack his clothes. "I won't let myself to stay in that room! Better I arrive there soon!"

The others sighed, yet finally Aldebaran, DM, Kanon, Shura, and Mu himself also went to their rooms to pack their clothes.

"Deathmask, even you're eager to follow us," grinned Kanon.

"I want to book a room as well!" snarled Deathmask. "You think I'll happy if I'm destined to stay in a room near to that girl's?!" he addressed Shunlei again.

Meanwhile Shaka was stepping right behind Mu, followed him with his eyes opened a bit, but narrowed.

"Ghouls?" teased Shaka.

Mu turned around and blushes rose to his cheeks.

"Shaka, do you intend to come with us as well?" Mu tried to exchange the topic, yet Shaka seemed not affected and kept following him until he entered the room.

"No, I do not. My intuition tells me not to come to the waterfall. Some sounds of dignities telling me to stay here," said Shaka charismatically, standing at the door.

"Oh…I see…"

"Hmmm…ghouls?" Shaka teased again.

"Very well, I give up, there are no ghouls, alright?" sighed Mu, packing his clothes. "I am bored and want to go vacation soon…"

"Aries Mu is bored?" Shaka couldn't hide his smile. He didn't wonder his fellows could easily believe in Mu's lie; the Aries was so virtuous and he hardly ever lied. All things came from his mouth was always considered as truth, even if it's about ghouls and bugs in the dwelling of the wisest and fairest Gold Saint of all.

"I am only human, Shaka, not the man closest to god."

Shaka smiled hearing it, looking at the floor.

"Being the man closest to god does not make the flesh and blood in my body turned into lights, Mu," he said quietly.

Mu blinked, staring at Shaka.

He'd never thought Shaka could say such words…. He knew Shaka a lot, and Shaka was always about his pride about his 'man closest to god' identity. Now he implied he was merely human being who won't ever turn into any god…

"I have learnt a lot," said Shaka then.

Before Mu could ask what he meant, Shaka had turned his head into another direction. A little frown appeared on his forehead.

Seeing it Mu also stepped at the door and took a look on what Shaka staring at.

It was Aiolia, standing at Aiolos's door. Aiolia's face filled with worry as he gazed into Aiolos's room.

"What is it, Aiolia?" asked Mu.

Aiolia twitched, as if he has been awakened from a very long sleep, and stared at his two friends.

"He hasn't waked up," Aiolia said in worry.

"Do not worry, Aiolia, maybe he is just tired," said Mu encouragingly. "We all know yesterday he cleaned almost every corners of this mansion. You do not have to worry."

Aiolia smiled in thankfulness and nodded his head, though he still stood at Aiolos's door. Yet a little anxiety has gone from his feature.

Mu continued packing his clothes.

Shaka still stared at Aiolia.

***

It was six pm. Kanon, DM, Aphrodite, Mu, Aldebaran, and Shura have left Kido's mansion to head to Rozan. Saga, Camus, Shaka, and Aiolia stayed in the mansion though; they were patient enough to do their vacation the next day…

With the earsplitting and the noisy and the insane Goldies went to Rozan, the mansion turned quite peaceful and calm. Aiolia usually did some pranks, indeed, but today his fellows were rarely seeing him.

"Where's Aiolia?" asked Saga when he prepared the dinner.

"He is still watching Aiolos," answered Camus shortly. He helped Saga preparing the dinner and cooking some French food.

"He hasn't waked up?" Saga wondered.

"Hmm…," Camus answered, short as usual, but there was a crease between his eyebrows.

Minutes later Aiolia appeared. His face was covered with fear. He had enough on this…all day he waited Aiolos to wake up, ready to tell him about the plan he was about to do in Rozan: eating Chinese foods, swimming under the waterfall, burning fireworks. But Aiolos never opened his eyes. Aiolia has tried to wake him up, but it was so useless.

"Aiolos hasn't awaked," he said with fear.

"Maybe he's tired, Aio—"

"What do you mean tired, Aiolos didn't do anything!" Aiolia cut Saga's words.

"Yesterday he cleaned almost every part of this house and you said he didn't do anything?" asked Saga, though he wasn't fully sure on his own theory.

"It's not so Aiolos, you know, feels tired only because of cleaning the house!" Aiolia clenched his teeth.

At the same time there was a call from the door. "I'm home."

Everybody, including Camus who was formerly looking for some desserts in the refrigerator, turned their heads to see Milo entering the house with light steps. "Have you prepared everything for tomorrow?" he said to his fellows. His marvelous blue eyes finally stopped at Camus.

Both of them looked at each other; Milo with warmth in his eyes and Camus with his impassive gaze that surpassed all the cold looks he's shown in the rest of his life.

The Aquarius chose to continue searching on the refrigerator, pretending nobody has come.

"Aiolos—," Aiolia was about explain about Aiolos too-sound sleep when Shaka (who hasn't moved even an inch since doing his meditation two hours ago) suddenly stood up. His usual extremely-calm feature transformed; he looked uneasy and worry as he walked to Aiolos's room.

"Shaka?"

Shaka didn't listen. He entered Aiolos's room, opened his eyes a bit, and saw the Sagittarius sleeping very serenely on his bed.

Aiolos looked so…impressive. Too impressive for someone who's only sleeping in unconsciousness.

The Virgo approached his bed and sat near to him. He grasped Aiolos's hand, and startled to find how cold the hand was, much colder than Camus's. Shaka moved his hand to touch Aiolos's forehead. It was cold as well, yet he could still feel organized-beats of his veins.

"Aiolos," Shaka called in a calm voice. "Wake up."

Nothing happened. The Sagittarius didn't twitch even a little. Considering Shaka's call was so easy to be heard by sleeping-beings, it was a kind of surprise.

"Aiolos?" Shaka called again.

Aiolos was still closing his eyes. His wise and handsome feature still showered by tranquility. His short brown curls shaped his face perfectly, also his hairband. Even when he was sleeping he wore hairband.

"What happened with him, Shaka?" Aiolia and the others have been in Aiolos's room. Aiolia's face was really pale, seemed preparing himself to listen to the worst.

Shaka stood up. A wrinkle appeared between his closed eyes.

"I do not know, Aiolia," he murmured. "I can only guess…"

***

Meanwhile, far…far away below his oblivion…in the world which didn't exist in every thoughts of his awaken juniors and fellows…Aiolos opened his eyes.

He was standing in the middle of gloom dimness. He looked at his body, staring at the clothes he'd thought he'd never had in his life or in his _deaths_: very classic long tuxedo, like which people usually saw in the movie with 18th century timeline.

Aiolos then looked at his right and left parts of body.

_Wings…?_

"Welcome, then," a strange and cold voice suddenly echoed.

Aiolos twitched, alerted. He looked at his surroundings. A little fear began to run through his veins…_where am I_?_ What place is this_…?_ Where's Aiolia and the others_...?

"Too easy, Sagittarius. Too easy," the voice echoed again, now was accompanied with the sound of slow footsteps.

"Who are you?" Aiolos still alerted, turned around, looked at his right side, left side, all corners he could reach. "Show yourself!"

There came laughter.

"You should be patient," the voice said. "The game has just begun."

"What are you talking about?!"

Aiolos needed not to search on his surroundings anymore, since the owner of the voice slowly appeared in front of his eyes.

He has quite attractive and tall feature, with shoulder-length wavy yellow hair and yellow slinted-eyes. His clothes looked like a priest outfit that existed, once again, in 18th century.

What surprised Aiolos most was, there was an image of pentagram on his forehead.

"You…" Aiolos stammered.

"Welcome to the realm of the dream, Sagittarius Aiolos. Or should I say…Sagittarius Sisyphus?" stated Hypnos. "You will completely…lost in a dream."

***

**Olympus Mountain, Greece.**

"That's why Persephone chose to stay in the world, isn't it?" asked Poseidon wearily after he looked at everything happened in Kido's mansion throughout the two-sided mirror which linked Olympus Mountain and the Earth.

Hades didn't answer, simply said, "You are sometimes too analytical, Poseidon."

**Continued in Chapter Two: **

**The Realm of the Dream, a Dream of Reality**


	3. The Realm of the Dream

A/N: Hello there, thank you…thank you so much for the reviews and the favorites, it means a lot for me… Chapter one has big revision, but it's not terminating the essence. For Kamiya-sensei, once again thank you very very much…. And Tasya, here is the second chapter ^^.

Disclaimer: I don't own SS chara.

**Chapter 2**

**The Realm of the Dream, a Dream of Reality**

**The Realm of the Dream, Hypnos's Dwelling.**

The darkness didn't resign.

There was scarcely light surrounding the strange landscape. Looked like it was dead. The transitory reminded everyone of a hole used to bury the deaths and their mahogany coffins. The glow which existed was only coming from a long river flowing in the midst of the terrain. The river was pristine, sparkling, almost silver in colour.

"The River of Lethe," said Hypnos, watching Aiolos staring silently at the river.

Aiolos turned his head.

"It's usually called The River of Forgetfulness," Hypnos continued. "Drink it and you'll forget your past, your present, also your wish of the future."

"Hades said you weren't revived," Aiolos uttered.

Hypnos's lips curled into a smile. He stepped ups and fro slowly.

"It's the matter of on whom your loyalty relies on," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you forget? It's not only lord Hades who leads Guidecca, Elysion, and Inferno. It's not only lord Hades whom I and my twin Thanatos put our allegiance into. According of the myths we trust, the rulers of the death realm are not only one, but two, isn't it, Sagittarius?"

Aiolos tried to think hard. In the Holy War his juniors only fight against one ruler of the death realm; indeed Hades wasn't alone, he had subordinates like Hypnos, Thanatos, Pandora, and the specters. Fighting _one_ ruler and the Gold Saints had to sacrifice their lives in order they could stop the Greatest Eclipse. Aiolos never thought about the other ruler, for fighting against only one ruler has been agonizing enough…

_Two rulers…_

Aiolos widened his eyes.

"Right. You're more intelligent than I expected," Hypnos clapped his hands. It wasn't the clap which usually heard in birthday or anniversary events. "As long as Lady Persephone still has her cosmo, we wouldn't easily vanish even though lord Hades refused to revive us. We still exist, although I'm only allowed to stay in the Realm of the Dream," Hypnos sighed, sitting in a throne which wasn't there before.

"We?" Aiolos asked. "Where's Thanatos then?"

"Thanatos lies in the beings' brains, of course," smiled Hypnos. "The one who forces humans to have a willing to die. Thanatos. The one who forces beings to jump in front of the train. Thanatos. The one who forces men to stab their veins. Thanatos. The one who gives humans the thought that life has no meaning, life is useless, life isn't worthwhile…," he looked above and smiled more affectionately than before. "…Thanatos."

Aiolos bowed his head.

"Thanatos…," he whispered.

Was it Thanatos who made him thinking that life isn't worthwhile…?

But he'd never thought he was interfered when he thought his life had no meaning. He always believed it was his own thought, his own willing…his own _hope…_

As seconds went by he finally decided it wasn't important at all. It made no difference, whether it was Thanatos's intervention or his own. From every objective point of views it was clear he hasn't deserved to live, and that's enough.

"You still have to learn more, Sagittarius," Hypnos said after quite long time. "Before we start the game."

"Maybe firstly you can tell me about Persephone," replied Aiolos.

He has mastered himself now. He was no longer controlled by his fear; instead he looked straight to Hypnos's eyes calmly. His wings, whose size resembled the Sagittarius one, warmed him up, protecting him from the chilly and raising-napes weather in the realm. "I'm curious. I have juniors and brother and friends, I have to make sure she won't make trouble like her husband before."

"You don't have to worry," Hypnos stated. "Lady Persephone is…"

"…fragile…," said Hades in Olympus Mountain.

***

The dark deity was just telling Poseidon about his wife as well.

"Fragile?" Poseidon wondered, raising his eyebrows. "Is the proverb 'like husband like wife' has been expired?"

"Weak," Hades continued, ignoring Poseidon's scorn. "In sixteenth century she left Olympus mountain and chose to live with Demeter in the Earth, transferring all her deity power to me."

"Why did she leave?"

"Do not interfere," Hades cut coldly.

Poseidon only shook his head.

"Demeter," Hades continued, his eyes turned even colder after mentioning the name. Seemed like he didn't like his mother in law too much. "…pursued her about the beauty of living in the Earth. Spring…flowers…butterflies…colours…"

Silence for a while.

Poseidon sat on his throne again and folded his arms. He looked at Hades's eyes, the depth green eyes which Seiya had ever called 'beautiful'. Yes…beautiful.

And totally empty.

"She was fed up," murmured Hades. "She had watched the Holy War since the era of myths, but never had any chance to take part in it. She had watched her husband trying to conquer the Earth for thousand years. She had watched her husband died for thousand times. And when Demeter told her about all living things in the world, her gloomy face started to be refilled with radiance, just like before her husband had an idea about Holy War.

"She chose to live in the dirty Earth, staying in a country which her husband was about to destroy. She was more and more resembling Athena. She was too obsessed with flowers and colours that she asked one of Athena's saints to fight her husband in order he would stop the Greatest Eclipse. Yet she also forbade the saint to kill her husband."

Silence again. No sound existed but the soft movement of the fogs.

Being impatient, Poseidon immediately asked.

"Which saint?"

"I asked you not to interfere, did not I, Poseidon?"

"And do you think I will obey you? If I have to remind you, you're my _little _brother."

Both deities looked at each other.

"Age is not important," stated Hades finally. "_Power _is important."

"Which saint?" Poseidon insisted again.

Hades narrowed his eyes.

"The Virgo Saint," said Shaka.

***

For at the same time in Kido's mansion the group was also discussing about Persephone.

"The Virgo Saint?" Milo widened his eyes. "Persephone asked the Virgo Saint in 16th century to fight against her husband?"

"For Heaven's sake, what's the connection between Aiolos's sleep and Persephone?!" Aiolia was getting more and more impatient. He sat near to his brother and never stopped grasping his hand. "I ask you about why Aiolos became like this, not the tale about Hades or Persephone!"

"We cannot discover the things happening to Aiolos without deriving Hades and Persephone's tales first, Aiolia," said Shaka calmly.

Aiolia panted, bowing his head, and gazed at his brother in misery. His fellows looked at him with dim eyes.

"Virgo Constellation is often called as the embodiment of Persephone," Shaka continued his story. "Perhaps that was why Persephone trusted The Virgo Saint more than the other Gold Saints of Athena. Shiva, was the name of the 16th century Virgo Saint. He was the only one who could enter Elysion and fight against Hades. Yet, as he had vowed, he did not kill Hades; instead he only sealed him and his specters, also Hypnos and Thanatos, with the secret enchantment given by Persephone.

"But these twins are unique…even though they were sealed…their souls could still penetrate and, much further, destroy human beings…," Shaka a bit opened his eyes and looked at Aiolos in anxiety, "…through dreams and depressed mood."

"Depressed mood?" Saga wondered. Hearing the word 'depressed' always caused him got shivered.

"Correct," answered Shaka. "Shiva could feel the existence of the twins, causing him returning to Persephone and asked her about the phenomenon. Persephone surprised him by saying as long as she still exists, Hypnos and Thanatos would not completely vanish, because both were putting their allegiance to her as well.

"Persephone asked Shiva not to worry though, for the twins would not harm human beings if they are not crossing the line."

"Crossing the line?"

"Thanatos…," Saga suddenly whispered, made the others turned their heads and looking at him in curiousity. "What, Saga?"

"It's about the psychological aspect of human beings," he walked up and fro, looked uneasy. "Within the depth selves of human beings, there always lies an urge to die, though in each person the mass is different. This urge can get smaller, or stagnant, or bigger, depends on how human beings managing themselves.

"Yet, when there comes a time people were emotionally affected by something bad in their life, their ability to block that urge was hindered. Depression, hurt, and hopelessness are those which causes people don't want to continue living. It will be the time when the urge to die begins to control human beings and result in fatal end, such as suicide or the like.

"In Freudian theory, the urge to die is called Thanatos," stated Saga.

Silence for very long time.

"The same thing was explained by Persephone to Shiva," said Shaka quietly as he looked at Aiolos again. "Although at that time she did not call it Freudian theory. When Thanatos has totally controlled human beings, their souls will be brought to Hypnos…and Hypnos will finally send them to eternal sleep, trapping them into the land of nightmare, until their souls are lost forever…"

"No…," whispered Aiolia. The room was like a long tunnel which had no end…all has become blurry for the Leo saint…all seemed dying. He couldn't even catch his fellows's features again.

"Wh…what are you talking about, Shaka?! You mean Aiolos's sleep is caused by Hypnos?!" Aiolia snapped with the remains of his strength. He stood up and released Aiolos's hand, which for him it felt like releasing a rope given by God to prevent him falling to the deepest well. "Are you saying Aiolos became like this because of a strong urge to die?! H…how could it be, how come a man like Aiolos becomes that weak and hopeless?! You must wrong, he is only sleeping and Hypnos or Persephone or anything doesn't have any damn with this!"

"This is Hypnos, Aiolia," murmured Shaka.

Aiolia has lost all strength now…

"Look at him…his hands are getting colder, he looks like having a very peaceful dream, but in opposite his heart is beating so fast. Call him for thousand times or put thousand alarms in this room, and he will not ever wake up…"

"Then we must do something now! We'll look for Persephone!" Aiolia marched to the door, but Camus soon grabbed his hand. "Wait, Aiolia…"

"Let me go, Camus, you don't know anything about this—all of you don't know anything about this because he's not your brother!"

"You're wrong…"

Aiolia was about to struggle again, yet Camus's gaze was successful preventing him.

All coldness in the deep blue eyes has gone, exchanged by deep sadness, anxiety, and love.

"We have to discuss first, alright?" said Camus after very long time. "He's not only your brother, all of us has shared great memories with him, including me (*see _Wishes_)."

Aiolia panted, didn't realize tears started to fill his eyes.

He returned to his brother, grasping his hands, and stroked his hair softly.

"I won't let you go again…," he whispered.

***

**The Realm of The Dream**

Hypnos narrowed his eyes when seeing Aiolos's body became a bit vague—his solidity seemed blurry a bit.

"Damn Leo…," he cursed.

"What's wrong with me?" Aiolos himself was wondering.

"Never mind about that!" snapped Hypnos. "Now time to start the game, Sagittarius! I won't ever lose any chance again; I've got you and you'll pay for what you've done two hundred years ago!" he turned around and talked to the gates behind him. "Oh I beg thou to release thy miracle, The Gates of Ivory…"

All of a sudden the gate was opened. Aiolos covered his eyes with his hands—for a moment the lights coming from the gates blinding him…the darkness was fading for a while by the presence of the extreme radiance…

…until everything was over…and suddenly Aiolos was standing in a room which has been too familiar for him…

…and seeing a man who has been too recognizable for him.

"Sa…Saga?"

**Continued in Chapter Three: The Golden Dagger Tale**


End file.
